August 17, 2012 - Pages 429 - 452 - Clarion

THE CANADIAN REFORMED MAGAZINE
Volume 61, No. 17 • August 17, 2012
There is purpose
and meaning
to our daily work
Inside this Issue
Inside tothis
Issue
• Off
Work?
Don’t
• ? Forget Your Doctrine
King’s March
• The
•
Guest Editorial
Jason Van Vliet
Off to Work?
Don’t Forget Your
Doctrine
Dr. Jason Van Vliet is professor
of Dogmatics at the Canadian
Reformed Theological Seminary
in Hamilton, Ontario
jason.vanvliet@canrc.org
Whenever we labour, we are always serving
the Lord, as part of our life-encompassing
worship of him
When I head off to work at the seminary I should
have my briefcase in one hand and my lunch bag in
the other. However, a couple of times I’ve arrived at the
seminary only to realize that I forgot my lunch. Note
to self: before you go to work, remember to take your
lunch along.
Oh, and remember to take your doctrine along,
too. Whether you work at home or away from home,
whether you take a lunch or buy one, you simply must
take your doctrine to work. “Doctrine?” you ask, “You
mean, the Bible’s teachings about God, salvation, and
eternal life? Those teachings which are summarized
in the confessions?” Yes, those doctrines. Pack your
lunch bag with a tasty sandwich. But pack your heart
with some solid doctrine. It will make your day that
much more delightful.
In order to explore this idea in detail, let’s follow
the traditional six-fold division of dogmatic studies.
The major topics are the doctrines of God, man, Christ,
salvation, church, and the last things. Or if you prefer
the more technical terms: theology, anthropology,
Christology, soteriology, ecclesiology, and eschatology.
There’s a lot to cover, so please bear with my brevity.
God
From the opening chapters of Scripture we learn
that God worked. “By the seventh day God had finished
the work he had been doing” (Gen 2:2). The word used
for “work” in that verse includes hands-on labour. It’s
also used for building a tabernacle (Exod 35:35) and
plowing fields (Prov 24:27). And God continues to work.
In fact, Jesus Christ said, “My Father is always at his
August 17, 2012 • 430
work to this very day, and I, too, am working” (John 5:17).
Now, since it is not below the Creator’s divine dignity to
work, it stands to reason that we, mere creatures of the
dust (Gen 2:7), should be willing to put in a hard day’s
work, too.
God also rejoices in his work. In the beginning,
he surveyed his work of creation and saw that it was
very good (Gen 1:31). Yet, even after the fall into sin, the
Lord still rejoices in his works (Ps 104:31). Now, it’s one
thing to joyfully take care of a groaning creation, it is
quite another to save stubborn, foolish sinners. Surely,
the latter is more arduous than the former. Yet, the Lord
delights in redeeming his chosen Zion, even though that
same Zion does more than her fair share of ungrateful
grumbling (Isa 62:5; 65:19; Jer 32:41; Zeph 3:17). So, since
the Almighty takes delight in the none-too-easy work of
redeeming us, surely we are encouraged to rejoice in
our work – even when it’s one of those days that is full
of obstructions and frustrations.
Man
God put Adam, and later Eve, in the Garden of
Eden to work (Gen 2:15). Simply put, living in Paradise
was not a prelapsarian staycation for Adam and Eve.
The Garden was big and beautiful, and there was
plenty of work to be done, each day again. Interestingly
enough, the word used for “work” in Genesis 2:15 is
different than the one used earlier in the chapter to
describe God’s work. This time the word has a wide
range of meanings which include to labour, to serve,
and to worship. You can tie them all together as follows:
whenever we labour, we are always serving the Lord,
THE CANADIAN REFORMED MAGAZINE
as part of our life-encompassing worship of him. He is
the Master; we are the servants. That is simultaneously
humbling and liberating. Each morning we head off to
our daily duties – at home, school, or the workplace –
and we do our very best. Yet at the end of the day we
acknowledge that we are only the stewards and he is
still the Owner of it all (Ps 24:1). Remembering that truth
makes it easier to sleep at night, too (Ps 127:2b).
Not only were we created to work, but we are also
commanded to work. In the fourth commandment the
Lord instructs us to rest for one day but also to work for
the other six. “Six days you shall labour and do all your
work” (Exod 20:9). That is, after all, a divine command.
Your Mom (or your wife) should not have to prod you out
of bed in the morning. The Lord’s fourth commandment
should provide all the motivation you need.
At the same time, the overall tone of this command
is tuned by the original mandate to rule over creation.
As those created in God’s image and likeness, we have
a noble calling to fulfill each day as royal sons and
daughters of our heavenly Father. The Catechism has
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What’s Inside
In This Issue
Our seventeenth issue of the year will be in your hands
shortly before Labour Day. With that in mind, our guest
editorial from Dr. Jason Van Vliet discusses work and doctrine:
how our daily labour is an act of worship and thankfulness.
Part two of Dr. Cornelis Van Dam’s “Prayer as an Incense
Offering” focuses on the aroma of sacrifice. What does God
demand of us today? What scent pleases him?
In their recent report the Committee for Bible Translation
has rejected the new 2011 version of the NIV Bible. Rev.
Clarence Bouwman discusses their reasons for doing so in
this issue.
The Ecumena column reports on the recent March for Life
held on May 10 in Ottawa. We also include Treasures New and
Old, a Reader’s Forum on Christian contemporary music, and a
Mission News insert in Issue 17.
Laura Veenendaal
Guest Editorial – Off to Work? Don’t Forget Your Doctrine
— J. Van Vliet..............................................................430
Treasures, New and Old – The King’s March
— M. Jagt................................................................. 434
Prayer as an Incense Offering (2)
— C. Van Dam............................................................435
NIV2011 — C. Bouwman..................................................438
Ecumena – March for Life: Speak up for those who cannot
speak for themselves!
— J. van Popta............................................................441
Readers’ Forum – “Childlike Reverence” in Prayer Only,
or in Music Also?..........................................................443
Cover photo courtesy Leanne Lodder
431 • August 17, 2012
a nice way of lining this up. In Lord’s Day 49, dealing
with the third petition, we learn that “everyone” has
“his office and calling.” Next, in Lord’s Day 50, dealing
with the fourth petition, we learn our “care and labour”
needs God’s blessing. That order is significant. All our
care and labour occurs under the God-given umbrella
of our office and calling. So, whether your daily duties
involve pouring cement or shaping the minds of young
children, the task takes on more dignity if you think of
it as a vocation, a calling from God, rather than just
another job.
Of course, since the fall into sin, our vocations
have been adversely affected by God’s curse upon
the ground. Whether you are a farmer or a framer,
each day’s labour contains more than enough thorns,
thistles, and sweaty brows (Gen 3:17-19). However, let’s
be careful: the result of the fall does not define the
nature of work. Work, in and of itself, is not equal parts
perspiration and aggravation. Work itself is a joyful
blessing. The burdensome part of work only came
because we sinned, not because of what God created.
So, the next time things go sideways at work, be sure to
distinguish in your mind between work as created and
working under the curse.
Above all, this is true because the work we do is
now “the work of the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58). Whatever the
name of our boss, whatever the title of our position,
this doctrine applies to us all, both younger and older.
So, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as
working for the Lord, not for men” (Col 3:23).
Salvation
It is clear that our Saviour Jesus Christ worked
hard for our salvation. We may have to wipe the sweat
from our brow from time to time. But that’s nothing
compared to what Christ did for us in the Garden
of Gethsemane. “And being in anguish, he prayed
more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood
falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). And it only became
worse on the cross.
The work that we do each day is part of our
thankfulness for the salvation work that Christ did for
us. Again, the Catechism has a nice way of lining this
up. Daily work is explicitly mentioned three times in
the Catechism: Lord’s Day 42 (“work faithfully”), Lord’s
Day 49 (“carry out the duties of his office and calling”),
and Lord’s Day 50 (“our care and labour”). Notice which
section all three are in: our thankfulness.
Christ
There is an intriguing verse at the very end of 1
Corinthians 15. The chapter is about death and the
resurrection of the body. Part of it (vv. 51-57) is often
read at the graveside. Yet surprisingly it ends on the
topic of work. The relevant words are: “Always give
yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you
know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain” (v. 58).
What do death and daily labours have in common? In
Ecclesiastes, the Preacher had no difficulty making the
connection. He says that it is precisely death which
seems to make our work so meaningless. At a certain
point, he even hated the things for which he worked
so hard because he realized that at his death he had
to leave all his wealth to someone else, who may well
foolishly squander it all (Eccl 2:17-18).
The last verse of 1 Corinthians 15 is the Christcentred answer to the Preacher’s exasperation. Christ,
who arose from the death, took the sting out of death
(v. 55) and simultaneously put the purpose back into
work. Life’s labours do not just tragically grind to a
meaningless halt at the grave. Far from it! As surely
as there will be a resurrection of the body one day, so
certainly there is purpose and meaning to our daily
duties today.
August 17, 2012 • 432
The work that we do each day is part
of our thankfulness for the salvation
work that Christ did for us
Too often we head off to work with certain goals
in our mind. We work to save up for college. We
work to pay off the mortgage. We work to build up
a company. Whatever the case, we let a future goal
motivate us in our present toil. Of course, it’s not
wrong to work with a set purpose in mind. But it is
far more enjoyable if we begin by working out of
gratitude before we start labouring toward a goal.
Then your work ethic takes on this doctrinally sound
tone: since my Saviour worked so inexpressibly hard
for my salvation, I will work hard each day to show
him how thankful I am.
Church
There is a common misunderstanding about the
church. It is that Christ’s church is put on pause when
the worship service ends. And then, the pause button is
released when we come back to worship next Sunday.
Such a notion is theologically incorrect. Christ is “an
eternal King who cannot be without subjects” (BC 27),
not on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Saturdays either. So,
even when the worship services are over, the church
still exists. This also means that on Monday morning
we go off to our respective workplaces still knit closely
together by the Holy Spirit as the one body of our
ascended Lord Jesus Christ.
Allow me to illustrate the point. Early each morning
work crews assemble in the yard of a landscaping
company. Some take a truck, with mowers and weedeaters, and off they go to do lawn maintenance. Other
crews load up with stone, soil, and plant material. Off
they go, blueprints in hand, to various construction
projects. Each crew goes in a different direction to a
different task. Still, they all work toward a common goal
under one company banner (duly painted on the side of
the trucks).
Sundays are something like those early mornings
in the landscaping yard. On the Lord’s Day we load up
our hearts with spiritual supplies, tools, instructions,
and encouragements. Then, Monday morning we all
head off, like different crews ready to tackle different
tasks. Still, we all work under the one banner of Christ,
serving his cause and his kingdom. In this sense, even
if you don’t work with fellow church members, by faith
you understand that your closest co-workers are the
people who share a pew with you, not necessarily those
who share a payroll with you.
Last things
Work does not last forever. Or does it? On the one
hand, we need to uphold the truth Revelation 14:13. The
voice from heaven said, “Write: Blessed are the dead
who die in the Lord. . . . They will rest from their labour.”
Our gracious God has so designed our future that all
the sweat and curse-induced thistle-pulling does, one
day, come to end. Thankfully so!
On the other hand, we need to uphold all the truth
of Revelation 14:13. For the same voice continues, “They
will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow
them.” Certainly our deeds do not precede us into
eternal life. We do not come before the throne of God
with life’s labours in hand, seeking to claim some credit
for them from our Creator. After all, even our best deeds
are nothing more than filthy rags (Isa 64:6). Instead, we
enter God’s throne room relying in faith on the perfect
atoning work of our beloved Saviour Jesus Christ.
And yet, according to God’s own Word, our deeds
– sanctified to be sure by the blood and Spirit of Christ
– do follow us across the border line between this life
and the next. It’s something to think about the next time
you settle into yet another day of work. If today’s deeds
will somehow become, by God’s grace, part of eternity’s
glory. . . well, that sheds a different light on matters,
doesn’t it?
Are you off to work now? Got your lunch? Good. Got
your doctrine, too? Great. Have a most enjoyable day, as
you give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because
you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.
C
433 • August 17, 2012
Treasures, New and Old
Marc Jagt
MATTHEW 13:52
The King’s
March
“On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven
times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.”
(Joshua 6:15)
Have you ever studied a cross
section? Maybe a mountain range
with its layers, or an engine and its
parts? It’s a good way to learn how
things work. In Joshua 6 we have a
kind of cross section. God teaches
his people how life is going to
work in the Promised Land. It’s not
always going to be like Jericho, with
the walls just falling down on top of
themselves. But at Jericho the Lord
makes things undeniably clear: we
live by his power and his grace.
The Israelites are in a time of
transition. They have lived in the
wilderness for forty years. Where
there was manna every day. Water
from the rock. Their shirts and
sandals did not wear out. Life is
going to be different in Canaan.
They are going to have to grow up,
you could say. They will have to
fight, and work the land. They will
learn what it means to live within
God’s covenant, with its promises
and demands. They will be
tempted to worship the gods of the
Canaanites, to trust in them.
But then there is Jericho. God
first makes clear to them his
awesome power. Life in the land is
his gift. They can, they must, trust
him. The Israelites are camped
on the plain before Jericho. The
oldest city on earth, it’s been called.
A beautiful oasis. It’s also the
guardian of one of the main ways
into Canaan. The city was heavily
fortified. In fact, the city itself was
fairly small, just seven acres. It’s
August 17, 2012 • 434
more of a fortress, a large castle
– walls six feet thick. Jericho was
the Fort Knox, the Minas Tirith of
Canaan. A symbol of her power, her
(supposed) invincibility. We read in
Joshua 3 that the harvest had just
happened. So the people of Jericho
have plenty of food and water. The
spring was actually inside the city.
Now here come the Israelites:
a bunch of slaves, the children of
slaves. What do they know about
war? All they do is march around
the city, once each day for six days,
in complete silence, except for the
blowing of ram’s horns. And then
seven times on the seventh day.
Did the people of Jericho laugh
at this strange group with their
strange rituals? Did they think they
were just going around in circles?
Not likely, actually. In those days,
do you know who would go on
ceremonial marches like this? New
kings. New pharaohs would march
around a fortified wall as part
of their coronation. In Canaanite
myths, Baal is said to do something
like this to assert his dominance.
It’s not really the Israelites who
are busy marching around, but the
ark, and through the ark, the Lord
himself. The Israelites and the
people of Jericho knew what was
going on here, with that ark circling
the city each day. The only question
was, was this just an empty boast?
Was there truly a new king who was
strong enough to bring his people
into a new land?
Rev. Marc Jagt is minister of the
Canadian Reformed Church
at Taber, Alberta
mjagt@telus.net
In this sacred march, in the fall
of Jericho, the Lord makes clear to
his people what they need to live in
his Promised Land: his authority, his
kingship. That’s what we have in
Jesus Christ, too. His ministry also
begins with authority. He drives out
demons and devil with but a word.
He forgives sin, saying to it, “Be
gone!” His miracles are miracles
of authority, his words are words
of authority. And at Good Friday,
Easter, Ascension Day, Pentecost,
we have Jericho fulfilled. Mighty
walls come falling down, apart from
the slightest nudge we might give –
walls of sin and misery, death and
devilish power. Truly a promised
land has been opened up to us,
though we are former slaves.
And these Jerichos are a
sign of what we all may enjoy,
even thousands of years later.
We are called to live within a
new covenant, with its promises
and demands. We are given new
life where we are called to work
out our salvation with fear and
trembling. But let’s look back, to
Jericho, to Easter. It is the same
resurrection power we enjoy!
The great King’s authority will
be worked out in our lives, even
when it might not be as obvious
as Jericho or Easter morning. Let’s
fight the good fight every day.
Let’s look to the King of kings in
confidence. Then we will also look
to him in worship, for the new life
he has established for us.
C
Cornelis Van Dam
Prayer as an Incense
Offering (Part 2 of 3)
In the first article, we saw that prayer was like an
incense offering and we ended with the question why
the fragrance of this sacrifice was so important.
The meaning of the aroma
The scent or aroma of the incense offering had to be
brought close to God. The fragrance of sacrifice played
an important role with other offerings as well. When
Noah sacrificed after the great flood, we read that the
Lord smelled the “pleasing odour” of his sacrifices
(Gen 8:21). The phrase “pleasing odour” occurs quite
frequently in Leviticus and in Numbers. For example, it
is used of the burnt offering of cattle (Lev 1:9), of smaller
animals (Lev 1:13), and even of birds (Lev 1:17). With
each offering we read “an offering by fire, a pleasing
odour to the Lord.” Similarly with the cereal offering
(Lev 2:2, 9, 12), the peace offering (Lev 3:5), and the sin
offering (Lev 4:31). Indeed, with all sacrifices the odour
is important. The verb used for the sacrifice of the
whole burnt offering (Lev 1) emphasizes the fact that
the sacrifice goes up in smoke and has a smell. This
emphasis is also found with the cereal offering (Lev
2:2, 9), the peace offering (Lev 3:5), and the sin offering
(Lev 4:31). In all cases, the verb for producing smoke and
odour as well as the phrase “pleasing odour” is used.
These features indicate something basic to sacrifice.
Literally the phrase “pleasing odour” means a
smell or a scent of rest (or pleasantness). This is a
smell that brings to rest. So, when the Lord smelled the
sacrifice of Noah, or of his people Israel, then it was
not the outward smell as such in which he rejoiced.
No, he was brought to inner rest by the disposition and
attitude shown by the bringing of the sacrifice – in the
case of Noah by his gratitude and giving of what was
available to God.
But more is involved in terms of God being brought
to rest by the aroma of sacrifice. For God made sacrifice
an integral part of the worship he demanded. It was
Dr. Cornelis Van Dam
is professor emeritus of
Old Testament at the
Canadian Reformed
Theological Seminary in
Hamilton, Ontario
cvandam@canrc.org
part of his service of reconciliation. Sacrifice spoke
of substitution and atonement. Blood is a key element
(Lev 17:11). Sacrifice as established by God ultimately
pointed to his great gift of love in Christ.
These elements of giving in gratitude to God a
precious gift and the element of atonement are found in
or associated closely with the incense offering, as we
shall see shortly. So, when the Lord savoured the sweet
smell of the incense and took in its fragrance, then God
rejoiced and it brought the Lord to inner rest and peace.
After all, was this not part and parcel of the ministry of
reconciliation which made it possible for him to dwell
as holy God in the midst of a people which by nature
was sinful? Did the offering of incense not speak of the
good covenant relationship between him and Israel,
for was all not well between Israel and God? They
lived in covenant communion! He, in the midst of Israel,
his people! The sweet smelling savour symbolized
that reality and it was therefore an apt symbol of the
prayers of Israel to their God. It indicated that there
was peace and good covenant communion.
So by commanding that the incense be burned
twice a day in the confines of the Holy Place, the
Lord indicated that he wanted to savour the burnt
incense constantly. It was to be a continuing symbol
of the beautiful bond of peace between him and
Israel. The living God in the midst of his people – a
reality made possible because fellowship had been
restored between God and man. The truth of the sweet
fellowship was expressed in the aromatic flagrance of
the incense offering.
Fellowship interrupted
That this is indeed all involved in the incense
offering is clear from what, for example, happened later
during Israel’s wandering in the desert. In Numbers 16
we read that Israel was still grumbling and murmuring
against Moses and Aaron (yes and therefore against
435 • August 17, 2012
God) even though Korah, Dathan, and Abiram had
just been punished in a terrible way the day before
by being swallowed up alive by the earth. Because
of this constant sinful grumbling in spite of divine
discipline, the Lord intervened and came down in
glory to the tabernacle. He said to Moses: “Get away
from this assembly so I can put an end to them at
once” (Num 16:45). The fellowship with God had been
broken. There was only the stench of sin and iniquity
and it hurt the holy nostrils of God. He was very angry
and was ready to make an end to the whole stinking
business! The aroma of sweet communion and
fellowship was no more.
Sacrifice as established by God
ultimately pointed to his great gift
of love in Christ
What could Moses and Aaron do?! The Lord
had told them to distance themselves from the
congregation and he apparently gave Moses and
Aaron no opportunity to pray for the people as they
had done before on an earlier and similar occasion
(Num 16:22). Moses then did the next best. He ordered
Aaron to get the incense and burn it. He ordered Aaron
to use that symbol of prayer. The sweet smelling
savour of what the real communion of God and
Israel can be like must be produced! The Lord must
smell something different from the rebellion and
sin. He must be reminded of the sweet savour of the
prayers that he had in the past received from Israel,
prayers that were possible because of the ministry
of reconciliation, prayers symbolized by the burning
of incense. So Aaron had taken his censer, gotten fire
from the altar, and burned incense.
The Lord’s glory filled the tabernacle and therefore
Aaron could not enter there and so Aaron burned
incense in his censer and ran and stood in the midst
of Israel that was being consumed by the wrath of
God. He stood among the living and the dead with the
burning incense. The symbol of prayer for the peace
of Zion, the high priestly incense offering, spoke of the
atonement and communion with God and was therefore
a sweet smelling savour in the midst of the foul odour
of rebellion.
And the Lord responded. He wanted peace and
covenant unity with Israel in righteousness. After all, he
had ordained this offering. He stopped the plague (Num
August 17, 2012 • 436
16:48)! He had smelled the fragrant symbol of the prayer
of peace and thanksgiving based on the ministry of
reconciliation with shed blood. Yes, this peace was
possible because of the service of atonement!
The sweet fragrance of prayer
So the incense offering was needed. It was
something the Lord rejoiced in! The sweet smell of
fellowship based on his redeeming work, the sweet
smell of prayer. The Lord therefore demanded what
the incense offering represented, namely, prayer. And
Israel understood. It therefore became a custom that
as the sign of their prayer was being offered in the
morning and evening, people gathered outside the
temple and prayed. We see this custom in the New
Testament. Zechariah had been chosen by lot to burn
incense in the temple. Then we read in Luke 1:10 “And
when the time for the burning of incense came, all the
assembled worshippers were praying outside.” The
incense offering spoke of prayer. Another example is
found in Acts 3:1. “Peter and John were going up to the
temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.” This was
the hour of the evening sacrifice and, therefore, also
the incense sacrifice.
As the Lord demanded the sign of prayer, he
certainly demands prayer itself from us. God wants to
hear from us in prayer. Prayer is necessary. It is to be
the fragrant savour of a glad and happy sinner who
knows he has peace with God! Indeed, because it is to
be the sweet savour of the covenant fellowship, it must
be above all a prayer of thanksgiving.
God wants to hear from us in prayer
From God’s point of view, how beautiful and
wonderful for him when he sees us falling down
before him in prayer – what a fruit of his salvation
work. By nature we want to stand up against God. But
God sees us, hands folded in prayer to him and so
experiencing communion with him and expressing
thanks by making use of that means of fellowship.
God delights in that. It is an incense offering to him!
It is the sweet savour he delights in amidst all the
stench of sin that hurts and irritates him. So God
sees results on his work of redemption: communion is
possible between God and man.
Prayer must therefore occupy a central place
in our life, for God rejoices in it and it reminds God
continually of his beautiful work of redemption. From a
rotten and decaying world there is a people who know
the Lord and experience the new life. Yes, a people
who go to God in prayer and, as with the sacrifice of
incense, give their best.
Prayer must occupy a central place
in our lives
For what is prayer? Is it not an opening of our
hearts, and most hidden thoughts and secrets to
God? Is it not a sacrifice of our lips in which we lay
everything before him as sacrifice of gratitude? Now
our gratitude to God can be shown in many ways, but it
starts with prayer. That is the chief part of thankfulness
as we confess in the Heidelberg Catechism (LD
45). Without prayer no true acts of thankfulness are
possible. Yes and that is why it in particular is the
sweet savour of incense in which God delights. And
therefore prayer is demanded by him.
And like the incense offering, our prayers must
continue without end. As the sacrifice of incense was to
be offered continually and just as the beautiful smell
never left the mercy seat, so God demands our prayers
continually. God’s Word exhorts us: “pray continually”
(1 Thess 5:17). Indeed, our life must be characterized by
prayer, by the realization of the bond of peace we have
with God and a making use of that reality. In this way
we live in communion with him and show our thanks.
God is then wellpleased. He forgives and forgets the
stench of sin that can also foul our life.
This brings us to another element we need to
consider about the incense offering. The One who gave
the law about the incense offering is holy and he gave
very precise rules for it.
To be continued C
437 • August 17, 2012
Clarence Bouwman
NIV2011
Rev. Clarence Bouwman is
minister of the Canadian
Reformed Church at
Smithville, Ontario
clarence.bouwman@gmail.com
Over the fifty to sixty years of her existence, the
Canadian Reformed Churches have three times
changed the Bible translation recommended for use in
the churches (and hence in homes). At the first synod
back in 1954, the recent migrants decided to use the
King James Version (KJV) in public worship. As the
church membership became more proficient with the
English language, awareness grew that the language
of the KJV was so outdated as to be hard to understand.
Consequently, a shift was made in 1971 to the Revised
Standard Version (RSV) – even as it was recognized
that this translation was not perfect. With the arrival
of the New International Version in the 1980s (finalized
in 1984), the churches decided in 1995 to recommend
the use of NIV for public worship. It was felt that
this translation rendered the Word of God in such
contemporary English that any reader could grasp the
same sense as a Hebrew or Greek reader could grasp
in the original languages centuries ago. It seems to me
that on the whole the NIV (1984) was well received in
the churches. The newest version of the Book of Praise
also draws its quotes from this NIV.
Development
Built into the translation method of the NIV was
the intent to keep the translation in step with changes
in the English language. The word “alien” in common
English used to mean a “foreigner,” but in recent years
(because of ET) the term now makes a reader think
of a visitor from outer space. So it’s reasonable that
the translation be updated so as to replace the word
“alien” (in a passage such as Genesis 23:4) with the
term “foreigner.” We all understand and appreciate the
need for such updating. As a result a revised version
of the NIV appeared last year, known popularly as
the NIV2011. With the arrival of this new version, the
NIV1984 is no longer available.
The revised version of the NIV had been announced
some time ago, and so the previous Synod of the
Canadian Reformed Churches had mandated a
August 17, 2012 • 438
Committee for Bible Translation (CBT; our churches
have had such a committee for decades) “to thoroughly
evaluate the updated NIV translation when it is
released in 2011 and to produce and send a report to
the churches within nine months of the release date”
(see Acts, Article 72). Recently the CBT produced the
requested report. The interested can find it at: http://
canrc.org/?document=8120.
The report’s conclusion? It’s a thumbs down.
Read this:
. . .though we found much of the 2011 NIV to be
acceptable. . . our scales of judgment were tipped in
the opposite direction particularly by those passages
that concern the special offices in the church.
Numerically speaking these passages are few, yet
we recognize that they have a weighty effect on the
life of the church in practical terms (p. 19).
Result: the Committee draws to the churches’ attention
the fact that previous synods have already listed the
New King James Version (NKJV), the New American
Standard Bible (NASB), and the English Standard
Version (ESV) as acceptable translations for the
churches to use. Unless, then, the CBT report is found
to be badly flawed, we shall soon be moving to a new
translation. . . again.
Flawed?
Is the report flawed in its rejection of the NIV2011? I
do not believe it is. Consider the following evidence as
it relates only to the issue (as the CBT mentions) of the
offices of the church:
1. In the 1984 version, the NIV translated 2 Timothy
2:2 as, “And the things you have heard me say in
the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable
men who will also be qualified to teach others.”
The phrase “reliable men” translates accurately
the Greek original, which is distinctly masculine
in its formulation. The 2011 edition replaces the
phrase “reliable men” with the gender-neutral
phrase “reliable people” on the understanding
that the term “men” can sometimes (in Greek
and in English) be used generically to refer to
both genders. Our committee writes, “This is an
unwarranted neutralizing of a text that ought to be
gender-specific. The use of ‘people’ in this verse has
the potential to be misleading in a consideration of
the special offices of the church.” Good call, in my
judgment.
2. As an example of a revised text our committee did
not mention (they can’t, of course, mention them
all), consider Romans 16:7. The NIV1984 has, “Greet
Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been
in prison with me. They are outstanding among the
apostles. . . .” The new rendition has changed the
name “Junias” to “Junia.” We need to know: Greek
names ending in s are commonly men’s names,
while those ending in a are commonly women’s
names. And yes, the Greek is such that one can
indeed translate the name of the person concerned
as either Junias (a man) or Junia (a woman). So
what’s the issue? Consider the next phrase, “they
are outstanding among the apostles.” That phrase
could have two meanings, namely, the apostles
think Andronicus and Junias/Junia are outstanding
or Andonicus and Junias/Junia are outstanding
in the ranks of the apostles. The latter possibility
means that the Bible itself mentions a female
apostle. And if a female could be an apostle back
then, why can a female not be an office bearer
today. . . . As it is, the Bible is emphatic in other
places that sisters of the congregation are not to
hold positions of authority or teach in church
(cf 1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:12). And the
Greek distinctly allows for the masculine name
Junias. . . so why would the NIV2011 opt for the
feminine name Junia? This text, and so many
more, point up the new NIV’s practice of removing
male-oriented details of meaning from the text of
the Bible.1
Given passages as these, I very much concur with the
conclusion of our Committee on Bible Translation: this
version ought not to be used in the churches.
More
You’ll recall the words I quoted earlier from the
CBT report, that the passages referring to women in the
special offices of the church are “numerically speaking
. . . few.” That’s indeed true, when it comes to explicit
texts of the nature of those mentioned above. But there
are countless other changes in the NIV2011 that have
prepared the way for the thinking reflected in those
“few” texts that explicitly promote opening the offices of
the church to women. Consider. In the NIV2011,
• the so-called “singular they” is frequently used as a
gender-neutral equivalent to the traditional “he;”
• terms as “people” and “humans” are often used
to render Greek and Hebrew words that refer
specifically to men or women;
• the Greek word adelphoi (meaning “brothers”)
is frequently rendered with the English phrase
“brothers and sisters;”
• the term “ancestors” regularly appears where the
original languages speak of “forefathers.”
The grounds given for such gender-neutral language
(instead of the prevalent male language of Scripture)
is that the Bible actually wants its readers to think not
just of “he” but of “he” and “she,” not just of “brothers”
but of “brothers and sisters,” not just of “forefathers”
but also of “foremothers” (which is cumbersome, and
so it becomes “ancestors”). Given that the English
language has changed in the last few decades to
become far more sensitive to the inappropriateness
of male-dominated word-choice, it is proper (argue
the translators) that an updated version of Scripture
also be more sensitive to the unseemliness of maledominated vocabulary.
A faithful Bible translation needs to stay
in step with changes in language
Now, I too think that one needs to stay in step with
developments in language. We all agree that it will
not do to speak seventeenth century English in today’s
society. By extension, it will not do to speak 1970s
English to today’s society (though, of course, it would
be far more understandable). I readily grant, then, that
a faithful Bible translation needs to stay in step with
changes in language.
The need to use contemporary English raises,
though, a tricky question. It’s this: why do the Hebrew
and the Greek texts of Scripture use (what we would
call) male-oriented language? The standard answer
is: that’s because the culture of the day was male
dominated. We can grant that indeed the culture of
439 • August 17, 2012
Bible times (be it Abraham’s time or Paul’s) was male
dominated. But the fact that it was male dominated
does not in itself mean that therefore Moses and
Jeremiah and Luke and Paul chose vocabulary that
sounds male dominated to our egalitarian-conditioned
ears. After all, the writers of Scripture time and time
again go out of their way to counter what was culturally
acceptable. On the pages of Scripture women receive
far more protection and esteem than was customary in
secular society of the time. That’s true in the writings
of Moses (in contrast to the place accorded to women
in Egypt) as well as in the days of Jesus (in contrast to
the place the Jews commonly accorded to women). The
point: if the Lord God had wanted his writers not to
sound “male dominated” he would have seen to it that
they formulate their thoughts in a manner distinct from
the culture around them.
Deeper
Back, then, to the question of why the biblical text
uses the pronoun “he” or “his” to refer to both genders
when the reference is not to men only (eg, Leviticus
2:1). And why does the Bible use the term “brothers”
when the reference obviously includes also the sisters
(cf Philippians 3:1; 4:1)? That’s because the Lord has
created the human race in such a way that the man is
the head and the woman is not. So much is the man,
by God’s ordinance, meant to be the head that his wife
(and children) is included in the man; a reference to the
head of the family (singular, male) includes his family.
If the Lord God had wanted his writers
not to sound “male dominated”
he would have seen to it that they
formulate their thoughts in a manner
distinct from the culture around them
When God, for example, established his covenant with
Abraham, God did not form a bond of love simply with
the individual Abraham, but with his wife Sarah also;
she was included in Abraham from the start. Behind
the Bible’s use of male-oriented vocabulary lies God’s
revelation about the relation between male and female.
Bible language isn’t simply culturally conditioned;
the language itself conveys a divinely established
relationship between the two genders God created.
August 17, 2012 • 440
In fact, this Bible language should infuse the way we
use language today – but that’s another topic.
NIV2011
One practical application of the Lord’s insistence
on male-headship is that women are to be silent in
the church and not to exercise authority over man (1
Cor 14:34; 1 Tim 2:12). Very rightly our Committee on
Bible Translation draws attention to passages where
the translation undermines this instruction. But if one
embraces a translation that elsewhere corrodes the
male-headship principle (by using the singular “they,”
replacing “brothers” with “brothers and sisters,” etc),
does one not ultimately undermine the reasons why
Paul insists that women are not to serve in the special
offices of the church? My point: my objections to the
NIV2011 extend deeper than the “numerically speaking
. . . few” texts that touch explicitly on the subject of the
special offices. This translation has “let our culture
shape the wording, instead of letting the wording of
scripture shape our culture.”2 As a result, we’ll end up
reading the Bible through today’s glasses – instead of
evaluating today’s culture through biblical glasses.
That, I think, is dangerous.
As the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood put it
in their Evaluation of Gender Language in the 2011 Edition of
the NIV, available at http://www.cbmw.org/niv-studies.
2
see http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=
18&articleid=20110702_18_A15_CUTLIN491043.
C
1
John van Popta
Ecumena
March for Life: Speak up
for those who cannot
speak for themselves!
On May 10, many thousands of Canadian citizens
took over the downtown core of Ottawa, in a peaceful
protest: The March for Life. ARPA and Jubilee Church
in Ottawa hosted a prayer service in a downtown
church building. About 150 people were expected; some
300 Reformed church members and other Protestants
came to hear a message from God’s Word and to make
supplication to him concerning the continuing killing of
the unborn in our land, and to recommit to bringing a
message of life and hope to our nation. Rev. John L. van
Popta of Fellowship Church in Burlington led the prayer
service. What follows is an edited text of his message.
(The spoken form is retained throughout). He spoke on
Proverbs 31:8-9:
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Friends, there is a series of lies perpetrated in
the media that permeates our culture. It says that the
matter of abortion is settled and that the law of the land
cannot be changed. It says that abortion is strictly a
private matter, which concerns only a woman and
her doctor.
The problem is, there is no law. We know that the
law as it stood was struck down by the Supreme Court
of Canada a long time ago. But when it did that, it
believed that the government would step in and
rewrite the law in a way that it would withstand a
court challenge.
No government has done so. The lie continues. Even
the present government, the one most likely to, refuses
to even consider a discussion. The controversy is
considered “toxic.” (We only need to think of the recent
Alberta election to discover how toxic.)
Rev. John van Popta is minister of
the Fellowship Canadian Reformed
Church at Burlington, Ontario
j.vanpopta@gmail.com
There are MPs across party lines, however, that
believe that some sort of legislation should be in
place. One of the reasons for the March for Life is to
encourage those MPs with the knowledge that there are
tens of thousands, millions even, of ordinary citizens
of this country who think that it is a travesty that harp
seals have more justice than unborn children.
It is a cause for sorrow that so much of the
Christian community of this country has little interest
in social justice. And when it seems to be interested, it
promotes boycotts of products made in Israel!
We read some passages from Psalms and Proverbs.
There we read that there is a need to speak up for those
who cannot speak for themselves. There is a place for
the people of God to speak up.
The Bible of course doesn’t foresee wide spread
aborting of babies, but it speaks of justice to the poor.
The poor are those people without means or citizenship.
The poor are those afflicted with poverty, or those who
were strangers, sojourners, and aliens. The sojourner
was the person not of Israel, who lived among the people
of God. Moses reminded the people to defend them.
They were reminded that in Egypt that was their status.
Their own previous status was their motivation for social
justice. God says, “Take care those who cannot speak
for themselves; take care of the widow, the orphan, the
sojourner. Take care of the poor.” The poor are those
people without means and without citizenship.
Who more qualifies for that than babies denied
personhood? You would think that having a discussion
about when someone becomes a person, with the rights
of protection would be valued by all. But as Public
Safety Minister Vic Toews and Prime Minister Steven
Harper showed recently, few in power have interest in
speaking up for the poor. Not if it will deny you power.
(Not much public safety for the unborn!)
441 • August 17, 2012
Photo courtesy Chris van Popta
I want to spend a few moments encouraging
you today to see how the Scriptures often direct our
attention to the poor. One of the first steps in the
“psychology of oppression” is to deny personhood to
someone. Think of times of war. Italians in WW2 were
WOPS; the Japanese Japs. Germans were Krauts. The
Germans considered Jews to be subhuman vermin. So
also today, the unborn are not persons, but “products of
conception,” just “bio-mass.” Their bodies, at death, not
corpses, but “hazardous bio-medical waste.”
But the church is called upon to speak for those
who cannot speak for themselves. Think only of Jesus’
inaugural sermon quoting Isaiah “I’ve come to preach
good news to the poor. Liberty for captives.”
Poor are not only those poor in possessions. They
are poor in liberty. The gospel proclaims liberty for
captives. Think of those unjustly imprisoned, or those
in prison for the sake of the gospel. They understand
liberty and its value. Behind walls and gates and bolts
and bars they have limited rights, few privileges, no
voice. Who speaks for those in the prison industrial
complex? Who will speak against prisons for profit?
And what of the elderly? They have little liberty
of movement. Or the disabled? Few pay attention to
them. What about the ill? Whatever our success, riches,
fame, we are poor when sickness comes. Naaman was
powerful, important, successful, wealthy, but when
illness came he too needed God’s grace. Jesus’ grace
was prodigious to the sick. He truly was the prodigal
son. Spending all he had. He offered gracious garments
of health for those in the tattered garments of illness. By
his stripes we were healed. The blows that fell to him
brought us healing. But our society thinks of euthanasia
as a cure for suffering.
Others are needy of mind: troubled, broken,
psychotic. Our society is marked by mental, emotional,
spiritual brokenness of the highest order. People
August 17, 2012 • 442
tormented by guilt, fear, voices, delusions. They need
people to speak for them. Speak up and judge fairly.
Defend their rights. Too many end up homeless and on
our city streets.
So many need spiritual deliverance. They are
troubled, twisted, tormented in imaginations, nerves,
body. Think of the wild man of Gadara. He was met by
Jesus. He was tormented, but after meeting Jesus, Mark
says he was “in his right mind.” We may not be able to
miraculously heal the tormented, but we can speak
for them.
Some are needy in spirit. Their faith flags. Their
resolve to be faithful to Jesus falters. Who speaks for
them? And what of the seeker? Is there room for them in
our lives?
And the poor in knowledge; the lost. Do we truly
share our riches with them? And the needy in heart:
those who need the softening balm of the gospel. Do we
have room for them? John the Baptist wasn’t shy with
Herod. Nor was Jesus shy with the promiscuous woman
at the well. Nor with corrupt Zaccheus. He called a
traitor, Matthew the tax collector, to follow him.
And there are those poor in friends. Think of Paul
abandoned by his friends but one: Onesiphorus, who
ministered to him when all gave up on him. He spoke
up for Paul. Jesus abandoned by his disciples. But
there was Ebed Melech the Ethiopian, who ministered
to Jeremiah when he was friendless, fainting, thirsty,
hungry. He was rescued. Some one spoke up for him.
What about us? Will we be an Ebed Melech? An
Photo courtesy Leanne Lodder
Onesiphorus? A faithful Luke? A diligent Timothy?
A dear friend?
What about all those poor in hope? Do we reach
out with human platitudes? Or powerful words of
heavenly hope? Do we care for those at our gates or at
our feet? The hungry in our communities, the homeless
in our streets?
Speak up and judge fairly. Defend the rights of
the poor and needy. Today as you go out to march,
you are fulfilling this mandate: To speak up for those
who cannot speak for themselves; to speak up for the
destitute, for the sojourner, for the non-citizen, for the
non-person.
For the unborn.
C
Readers’ Forum
“Childlike Reverence”
in Prayer Only,
or in Music Also?
With Lord’s Day 46 of the Heidelberg Catechism,
we confess in Question and Answer 120, “Why has
Christ commanded us to address God as our Father? To
awaken in us at the very beginning of our prayer that
childlike reverence. . . .”
Not too long ago I heard a sermon on Lord’s Day
46 in which the minister stated, “Don’t think of God’s
majesty in an earthly manner. Coming to God is not
common but special, because God is not a common
being, He is the Holy God and we are sinful people!”
This Lord’s Day is aimed at prayer, but can it, and
should it, be applied to the music we listen to in our
leisure time as well?
A while ago I read an article written by Rev. J.
Witteveen called, “Some Thoughts on Contemporary
Christian Music (Part 1),” which you can find on the web
under “Reformed Outfitters.” In his article he writes, “I
hadn’t realized that this genre of music even existed,
but when it was introduced to me, I found myself
devouring it. And that music came from a surprising
source – the American hip-hop culture.” Furthermore,
he wrote,
I was introduced to the music of men like Lecrae,
Shai Linne, Tedashii, Timothy Brindle, Trip Lee,
and Sho Baraka. And the more I listened to their
songs, the more impressed I became. Hip-hop and
rap music had been a genre that I had avoided
completely, since so much of its message is totally
opposed to the Christian faith. When I thought
of rap music, I thought of musicians who reveled
in wickedness, boasted of evil, and extolled the
virtues of a Godless lifestyle. But imagine my
surprise when I heard songs like this one, from Shai
Linne’s latest album, “The Attributes of God.”
Then the lyrics of the song “All Consuming Fire” by
Shai Linne are quoted. Rev. Witteveen classifies the
words of this song as “unashamedly theological.”
443 • August 17, 2012
Simply put, I would not hesitate to recommend
any of Shai Linne’s albums to Reformed, Christian
people, young or old. Musically speaking, the style
may not be your cup of tea; but there’s no denying
the quality of the production, the originality of the
musical accompaniment, and the centrality of God’s
glory to the message of the lyrics. This is music that
glorifies God and edifies His people.
I’m sure that Rev. Witteveen meant well; however, after
listening to some of the songs of these artists I came to
the conclusion that this kind of music is not my “cup of
tea”! Without being disrespectful, is God pleased with
this – is this his cup of tea? Would God embrace this
kind of music as a “fragrant aroma” offered to him with
“childlike reverence”? In the Belgic Confession, Article 1,
we confess that “there is only one God,” and that “he is
eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite,
almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, and the overflowing
fountain of all good.” Wow, that makes me tremble, as it
should! Would it not at least be somewhat disrespectful
to address God with such “music,” even when the lyrics
are “unashamedly theological”? Let’s read on.
Plato, a Greek philosopher, once wrote, “Through
foolishness they, the people, deceived themselves into
thinking that there was no right or wrong in music, that
it was to be judged good or bad by the pleasure it gave”
(The Secret Power of Music, p.189). The question arises,
when does something become Christian by merely
“Christianizing” the terminology and placing Christ’s
name in front of it? Are we not to call the lost out of the
culture (world) to repentance and righteousness, rather
than imitate the culture (world)?
The Bible plainly states that music is not neutral.
Christians are instructed to use a certain kind of
music to worship God and to build up the Christian
life. God clearly specifies what kind of music is right,
which we can conclude from Colossians 3:16, “Let
the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all
wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
thankfulness in your hearts to God.” But can’t we do
all of this with CC rap and hip-hop you may ask? Not
according to Alan Ives, a former rock and roller. He
says, “We can never portray the peace of the Lord with
wild, discordant, violent sounds. We can never speak of
the love of God with hateful music, the goodness of the
Lord with bad music, the majesty of God with low class
music, the power of God with puny music, the wisdom
of God with stupid music, the holiness of God with
unholy music. We can never speak of godliness with
ungodly music, of heavenly things with earthly, sensual
and devilish music.”
I wonder if it is appropriate to “evangelize” rap
listeners with a Christianized rap approach? I wonder
August 17, 2012 • 444
if rap is the appropriate forum for the “faith once
delivered to the saints,” and the spreading of the
glorious gospel of free grace? Are we compelled to
evangelize via every entertainment forum? Would it be
a sin to not use rap to evangelize, to reach others?
God says in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed
to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, so that ye may prove what the will of God
is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Furthermore, in Ezekiel 22:26 we read, “Her priests
have done violence to my law and have profaned my
holy things; they have made no distinction between
the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the
difference between the unclean and the clean.”
One standard we can use in regard to art or
cultural issues in general is found in Philippians
4:8. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever
is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is
any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell
on these things.” I find so few of those virtues named
by the apostle to be present in rap, musically and / or
lyrically. Also we need to ask ourselves, who are we to
please when we listen to CCM? Let’s assume that the
music is accompanied by “unashamedly theological”
lyrics; the fact still remains that the music itself is
displeasing to God as it shows no “childlike reverence.”
I find the words of 1 Thessalonians 2:4 very convincing
for the argument, “but just as we have been approved
by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak
(listen to, or sing) not as pleasing man, but God who
examines our hearts.”
In October 2006, John Piper (the name may sound
somewhat familiar to you as you may find some of
his work in your church library) invited rap artist
Curtis “the Voice” Allen to perform in the Bethlehem
Baptist Church. The significance of this event is that
it legitimized the so-called holy hip hop movement
among New Calvinists. The fact that a leading
theologian of New Calvinism had publicly given his
blessing to rap music in the church was a symbolic
event that opened the floodgates. If Piper was in favor
of rap artists performing in the church, who could be
against it? The close relationship between John Piper
and rap artist LeCrae is illustrated by the fact that their
respective organizations, Desiring God Ministries and
Reach Records, have been collaborating for a number
of years. Associated with Reach Records is a group of
rap artists known as 116 Clique (pronounced one-onesix click). The Clique is a hip hop group that takes its
name from Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the
gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every
one who believes.” Members of 116 Clique include
LeCrae, Trip Lee, J’Son, Sho Baraka, Tedashii, Pro,
KB, and non Reach members Shai Linne, Flame, and
Cam (some of which are promoted by Rev. Witteveen
in his abovementioned article). In January 2011, John
Piper interviewed rap artist LeCrae at the Passion
Conference. Piper asked LeCrae to explain what he
and his friends at Reach Records want to see God do
through their music. Piper then publicly prayed for
LaCrae’s rap ministry. John Piper undoubtedly stands
at the centre of the holy hip hop movement. The aim of
the movement is to redeem a hip hop culture for Christ.
But this is wrong thinking, for Christ died to redeem
a people for God, not to redeem the sinful culture of
this world. The claim that the lyrics of holy hip hop are
deeply theological does not stand up to scrutiny. The
idea that such gatherings can be used to teach God’s
word is patently untrue. How sad that a church leader
of John Piper’s standing, with his vast knowledge of
Scripture, cannot see the evil of hip hop culture and its
harmful effect on young people.
Rev. Witteveen writes in his article, “Simply put, I
would not hesitate to recommend any of Shai Linne’s
albums to Reformed, Christian people, young or old.”
Personally I rather have our leaders say, “Simply put,
I would not hesitate to not recommend any of these
artists and their music to any Christian people, young
or old.”
Now I would like to share with you an excerpt
from an article from Peter Masters, pastor of London’s
famous Metropolitan Tabernacle, where Spurgeon
once preached. The article is entitled, “The Merger of
Calvinism with Worldliness.” It reads as follows,
When I was a youngster and newly saved,
it seemed as if the chief goal of all zealous
Christians, whether Calvinistic or Arminian, was
consecration. Sermons, books and conferences
stressed this in the spirit of Romans 12.1-2, where
the beseeching apostle calls believers to present
their bodies a living sacrifice, and not to be
conformed to this world. The heart was challenged
and stirred. Christ was to be Lord of one’s life, and
self must be surrendered on the altar of service for
him. But now, it appears, there is a new Calvinism,
with new Calvinists, which has swept the old
objectives aside. A recent book, Young, Restless,
Reformed, by Collin Hansen tells the story of how
a so-called Calvinistic resurgence has captured
the imaginations of thousands of young people
in the USA, and this book has been reviewed
with great enthusiasm in well-known magazines
in the UK, such as Banner of Truth, Evangelical
Times, and Reformation Today. This writer [Peter
Masters], however, was very deeply saddened to
read it, because it describes a seriously distorted
Calvinism falling far, far short of an authentic life
of obedience to a sovereign God. If this kind of
Calvinism prospers, then genuine biblical piety
will be under attack as never before. The author
of the book is a young man (around 26 when he
wrote it) who grew up in a Christian family and
trained in secular journalism. We are indebted to
him for the readable and wide-reaching survey
he gives of this new phenomenon, but the scene is
certainly not a happy one. The author begins by
describing the “Passion,” a conference at Atlanta
in 2007, where 21,000 young people reveled in
contemporary music, and listened to speakers such
as John Piper proclaiming Calvinistic sentiments.
And this picture is repeated many times through
the book – large conferences being described
at which the syncretism of worldly, sensationstirring, high-decibel, rhythmic music, is mixed
with Calvinistic doctrine. We are told of thunderous
music, thousands of raised hands, “Christian” hiphop and rap lyrics (the examples seeming inept
and awkward in construction) uniting the doctrines
of grace with the immoral drug-induced musical
forms of worldly culture. Resolved is the brainchild
of a member of Dr. John MacArthur’s pastoral staff,
gathering thousands of young people annually,
and featuring the usual mix of Calvinism and
extreme charismatic-style worship. Young people
are encouraged to feel the very same sensational
nervous impact of loud rhythmic music on the body
that they would experience in a large, worldly
pop concert, complete with replicated lighting
and atmosphere. At the same time they reflect
on predestination and election. Worldly culture
provides the bodily, emotional feelings, into which
Christian thoughts are infused and floated. Biblical
sentiments are harnessed to carnal entertainment.
(Pictures of this conference on their website betray
the totally worldly, show business atmosphere
created by the organizers.) Truly proclaimed, the
sovereignty of God must include consecration,
reverence, sincere obedience to his will, and
separation from the world. You cannot have Puritan
soteriology (doctrine of salvation) without Puritan
sanctification. You should not entice people to
Calvinistic (or any) preaching by using worldly
bait. We hope that young people in this movement
will grasp the implications of the doctrines better
than their teachers, and come away from the
compromises. But there is a looming disaster in
promoting this new form of Calvinism. Putting a
Christian message in such a musical form, like rap,
hip-hop, does not elevate the form but degrades
the message to the level already established in the
culture by that form. In using the world’s genres
445 • August 17, 2012
of music, it blurs the gap between worldly Satanic
values and divine ones.
There is an alternative way of praising God, so let’s
do it the right way, the way which is pleasing to him.
Let’s do so in harmony with Ephesians 5:19, “speaking
(singing, listening) to one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with
your heart to the Lord.” Some genres of music are just
too much of the world to be redeemed, and discretion
being the better part of valour, the Christian would be
better off just avoiding it completely.
So I ask you, “childlike reverence” in prayer only,
or in music also? I think God may have given us the
answer to that question in Psalm 2:11, where we read,
“Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with
trembling.”
Brotherly greetings
Case Burger
Response
The issue of music can be a contentious one,
and that fact became obvious to me when I received
responses to my article on both sides of the issue;
one response said I was too harsh on Christian
contemporary music, the other said just the opposite.
I would like to address several of the points that Br.
Burger made in his article.
First of all, Br. Burger writes that “Christ died to
redeem a people for God, not to redeem the sinful
culture of this world.” He goes on to say, “Some genres
of music are just too much of the world to be redeemed,
and. . . the Christian would be better off just avoiding it
completely.”
I am compelled to point out that I never spoke about
“redeeming” genres of music in my article for Reformed
Outfitters. But on the one hand Br. Burger says that
Christ didn’t come to redeem a sinful culture, and
on the other hand he says that some genres of music
are too worldly to be redeemed. Does this mean that
some genres are not so worldly that they cannot be
redeemed? If so, what are they?
I would agree that there are standards that we
must use when considering what kind of music we
will employ in our songs. I agree that there are certain
genres of music that, in and of themselves, do not
bring glory to God, because of the world-view that they
represent, the world-view upon which they are built.
There are two genres in particular that I’ll mention as
examples – one is “death metal,” a sub-genre of heavy
metal, and the other is “free jazz,” an “avant-garde”
offshoot of more mainstream jazz music. These are two
very different genres of music, obviously. But both are
built upon a distinctly anti-Christian world-view, in
August 17, 2012 • 446
the form of the music itself, even leaving their lyrics
completely out of the equation. In the very make-up
of the music, both of these forms (and I could mention
others, but have chosen the two which are most obvious
to me) are explicitly opposed to the Christian faith.
However, I also believe that context has a lot to do
with whether a musical form is worthy of being enjoyed
by Christians, and used to praise our God. For example,
jazz as a musical form originated in a cultural setting
that was completely antithetical to the Christian faith.
As it originally existed, in its original context, jazz was
a genre of music that would not have been appropriate
for Christians to listen to or perform. However, as a
genre, jazz developed over the decades. It was removed
from its original context, and it evolved into a “serious”
form of music, music to be listened to quietly, music to
be pondered, music to provoke thought. Jazz went from
the brothel to the coffee house to the concert hall, and in
doing so, the very music changed. I am not speaking of
a change in form; I’m speaking of a change in context.
This, I believe, makes all the difference.
The same is true for hip-hop music. Hip-hop, or rap
music, has a long history. Its recent roots go back to
the African-American church, and a particular style
of preaching that was very rhythmic and musical.
Over time, the genre we now know as rap, or hip-hop,
developed, and what became popular was, to say the
least, not glorifying to God. In its original context,
as a form of expression most often used to glorify
the performer, especially in relation to other rival
performers, rap music is unacceptable for the Christian,
and should be avoided. However, when removed from
its original context, the genre itself changes. And so, I
must ask: is it the form of the music itself that is evil,
or is it the subject matter of the songs themselves? Is
rap music, as a form of musical expression, inherently
irreverent and disrespectful?
On this, Br. Burger and I disagree, and I believe that
arguing about this is somewhat akin to arguing which
colour brings more glory to God – purple or blue. You say
it’s irreverent, I say it’s reverent, and our conclusions are
both entirely subjective. What characterizes reverence?
Is it rhythm, or lack thereof? Is it speed? Is it volume?
Cultures and individuals differ in their appreciation
of all of these aspects of music. The issue of the
worthiness of musical genres is not entirely black and
white; between those black and white extremes (which I
alluded to earlier), there are plenty of shades of grey. On
these we may disagree, but try as we might, objective
criteria for judgement are difficult to come by.
The Greek philosopher Plato may have believed
that there is an “ideal” form of music, because of the
nature of his philosophy, which claimed that there is an
ideal form of everything that exists beyond the human
senses, a spiritual form which the physical could never
attain. However, when it comes to music, it’s simply not
that cut and dried.
The final point I would like to address is Br. Burger’s
assertion that “the claim that the lyrics of holy hip hop
are deeply theological does not stand up to scrutiny.” Br.
Burger makes this assertion, but provides no evidence
to back this statement up. I could list a number of
songs that have a very strong, sound, theological
underpinning, but given the fact that this entire issue
of Clarion is not dedicated to this topic, I will have to
Clarion
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refrain. Suffice it to say, there is much evidence to the
contrary, and if the reader is interested in examples, I
can provide them.
In conclusion, I stand by my original positive
evaluation of the music being produced by the
Christian rap artists I named in the original article
(this is not a blanket endorsement for all Christian rap
music), and I thank Br. Burger for his comments and the
opportunity to respond to them.
In Christ the King,
Pastor Jim Witteveen
Prince George, BC
C
ADVERTISEMENT NOTICE:
Announcements of Weddings, Anniversaries
(especially those with an Open House)
should be submitted six weeks in advance.
Births
I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I have
asked Him. Samuel 1:27
With much joy we Thank God for entrusting us with another
one of His covenant children
SAMUEL HERMAN
We Praise God that all things are well.
Proud parents: Herman and Jolene DeHaan (nee Schulenberg)
Excited Sister: Kaitlyn, Konnor†
Samuel is the 10th Grandchild for John and Joanne Schulenberg
and the 22nd for Griet Schurrman
7854 Canborough Road, Dunnville, ON N1A 2W1
n ppppp n
Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to
everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted
above all blessing and praise. Nehemiah 9:5b
With thankfulness and praise to the Lord our God, We
Jonathan and Andrea Bax
joyfully announce the birth of our son
BRODY ADRIAN
July 8, 2012
A little brother for Megan
4th grandchild for Archie and Ria Bax
4th grandchild for Gijsbert and Annie Nederveen
90th great-grandchild for Beppe Grietje Bouwman
4192 Thomas Alton Blvd., Burlington, ON L7M 0M6
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14
We thank the Lord who has richly blessed us with another one
of His covenant children, a daughter
ADDISON ALYCIA
Born on June 20, 2012
Ben and Rachel Helder
A sister for Emmalyne, Isaac, Daeton
14th grandchild for Ed and Alice Helder
21st grandchild for Harry and Janet Ludwig
19 Ridge Road West, Grimsby, ON L3M 4E7
n ppppp n
You know how I in safe seclusion was made with delicate precision.
Psalm 139:8 (POB)
With thankfulness to our Heavenly Father we joyfully announce
the arrival of one of His own covenant children whom He has
entrusted to our care
DECLAN JOHN
Born June 13, 2012 to
Chris and Amanda DeBoer
A little brother for Titus
38th grandchild for Dirkje DeBoer
27th grandchild for John and Mary VanderHoeven
167 Thoms Crescent, Newmarket, ON L3Y 1C9
447 • August 17, 2012
Birthdays
Wedding Anniversaries
90th Birthday
1922 ~ August 18 ~ 2012
Give thanks to Him and praise his name. For
the Lord is good and his love endures forever.
Psalm 100:4b-5a
With thankfulness to our Heavenly
Father, we hope to celebrate the 90th
birthday of our Father, Grandfather
and Great-grandfather
JACOB VAN SETERS
May God continue to bless and keep him.
His thankful children:
Coaldale, Alberta:
Arie and Margaret Van Seters
Langley, British Columbia: Peter and Janey Van Seters
Taber, Alberta:
Nellie Hiemstra
Coaldale, Alberta:
Bill and Joanne Vander Heide
Jacob and Margaret Van Seters
Love from his 22 grandchildren and 43 great-grandchildren
1006-22 “A” Avenue, Coaldale, Alberta T1M 1B7
Wedding Anniversaries
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22, 23
The Lord willing, on August 29th, 2012, we will joyfully celebrate
the 25th Wedding Anniversary of our parents
DAVID and MARGARET VAN OMMEN (nee Grit)
We are thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness and continued
blessings of God-fearing and loving parents. We wish them
many continued blessings in the following years!
With love from your children:
Steven and Crystal Vander Veen
Shawn and Sarah Van Ommen
Elizabeth (and Justin Versteeg)
Nicolas
Serena
Curtis
Marissa
Mailing address:
254107 9th Line, RR 1, Grand Valley, ON L0N 1G0
Subscribe to
August 17, 2012 • 448
50th Wedding Anniversary
1962 ~ August 27 ~ 2012
He made known his ways to Moses, his deed to the people of
Israel: the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger
and abounding in love. Psalm 103:7 & 8
Living in thankfulness with their children, grandchildren
and great-grandchildren we may celebrate this blessing
in His Name
JOHANNES FLORIS and JANET DE LEEUW
Arthur and Wilma de Leeuw
Jonathan and Renae de Leeuw
London, Austin
Brian and Brenda
Edmonton, AB:Roseanne
Carolyn
Carman, MB: Leslie and Karen de Leeuw
Edmonton, AB:Christopher and Cheryl de Leeuw
Randy
Lindsay
Jessie
Maria and Jason Breukelman
Keisha
Julian
Carman, MB: Martin and Sandra Vanderwoude
Brandon
Rylan
Devon
Jayanna
Edmonton, AB: Brent and Yvonne Leyenhorst
Barbara and Dave Rus
Blake
Katelyn and Aaron Spronk
Bentley
Joanne
Christine
Chatham, ON:
Terry and Jennifer Vanderveen
Radley
Janea
Judine
Johyna
Brett
Houston, BC:
Eric and Brenda Onderwater
Kierra
Darren
Sheldon
Nadia
Randal de Leeuw†
40160 Wellsline Road Abbotsford, BC V3G 2K7
Abbotsford, BC:
clarion@premierpublishing.ca
Wedding Anniversaries
Teaching Positions
1977 ~ July 29 ~ 2012
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your
paths straight. Proverbs 3:6
With thankfulness to the Lord for His care and faithfulness,
we announce the 35th Wedding Anniversary of our
parents and grandparents
LLOYD and FENNY KINGMA
Beth and Mike Stel, Russell, Geneva
James and Rachel Kingma
Lucas, Elisabeth, Lilia, Ayanna, Shiloh
Becky and Les Blokker, Jaime, Anya, Taylor, Carmen
Ryan and Kristin Kingma, Logan, Tyson
Jonathan and Sharon Kingma, Avaiya, Javan
Laurence and Kaitlyn Kingma
Juditha Kingma
Aren Kingma
951 Robinson Road, Dunnville, ON N1A 2W1
The board of
Tyndale Christian School
of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
invites applications for the
2012/2013 school year for the possible positions of
PRIMARY and SECONDARY GRADES TEACHERS
Tyndale Christian School currently offers grades K-12, with an
enrollment of approximately 75 students, and 6 full-time staff.
If you would like further information about the
opportunities, school operations, or living in the beautiful
Calgary area; please contact the board chairman:
Mr. Eric Veenendaal
Home: (403) 698-1858; eric.veenendaal@gmail.com
Or the principal: Mr. Ed Hoogerdyk
Home: (403) 285-4680; ed.hoogerdyk@gmail.com
Applications can be sent to:
Debbie Chin, Secretary of the Board
5851 22 Avenue NE, Calgary, AB T1Y 2C1
debbiechin@telus.net
Obituaries
August 18, 1991 – June 30, 2012
. . .yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.
Habakkuk 3:18
At His appointed time, the Lord, in His infinite wisdom,
called Home into glory our beloved son, brother, and uncle
KURTIS VIS
at the age of 20 years.
He will be deeply missed.
Smithville, ON: Henry and Wilma Vis
Dunnville, ON: James and Jessica Vis
Tyson, Marissa, Cohen, Austin
Winnipeg, MB: Sarah and Darren Johnston
Madison, Scarlett
Grimsby, ON: Jessica and Ian VanSydenborgh
Jasynne, Jamian, Lyra
Smithville, ON: Denise and Peter Ravensbergen
Kierra, Kaden, Ezra, Elias
Wellandport, ON: Daniel and Alyssa Vis
Klayton, Reagan, Quinn
Kelvin Vis and Samantha Vander Mey
Smithville, ON:
Loving boyfriend of Tracy Breukelman
Corresponding address:
Henry and Wilma Vis
7137 Twenty Road, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0
The Board of the Owen Sound Canadian Reformed School
invites applications for
TEACHER
Due to a maternity leave duties would commence
beginning January 1, 2013
Owen Sound Canadian Reformed School currently offers
grades 1-8, with an enrollment of approximately 40 students.
If you love to teach, have good interpersonal skills and desire
to support our community in its mandate to raise all our
covenant children in the fear of the Lord, please submit a
resume, statement of faith and a list of references.
To submit an application or for further information
about the opportunities, school operations or about the
surrounding area of Owen Sound please contact:
Mr. Alex Sikkema, Board Chair
519-934-3763, owensoundboard@gmail.com or
Mr. Tim Degelder, Education Committee
519-794-2168, tim@aqualineirrigation.ca
The Board of the Owen Sound Canadian Reformed School
invites applications for
TEACHING PRINCIPAL
Owen Sound Canadian Reformed School currently offers
grades 1-8, with an enrollment of approximately 40 students.
If you love to teach, have good interpersonal skills and desire to
support our community in its mandate to raise all our covenant
children in the fear of the Lord, please send us your resume,
statement of faith and a list of references.
To submit an application or for further information about the
opportunities, school operations or about the surrounding
area of Owen Sound please contact:
Mr. Alex Sikkema, Board Chair
519-934-3763, owensoundboard@gmail.com or
Mr. Tim Degelder, Education Committee
519-794-2168, tim@aqualineirrigation.ca
449 • August 17, 2012
EMMANUEL CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL
Located in Fergus, ON
invites applications for the following position:
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER
Preferences will be given to applicants with qualifications in
the following areas (although other areas will be considered):
Math/Science
for the 2nd semester of the 2012/13 school year (Feb to June).
Full and part-time applicants will be given consideration.
Emmanuel has a student body of 187 students in grades 9
through 12. It is located in a picturesque southern Ontario
town. Our school has excellent working relationships with
board, staff, principal and society.
Qualified individuals who seek to serve in the field of
Reformed Education, and who submit themselves to
Scripture as summarized in the Reformed Confessions, are
heartily encouraged to submit an application, including a
philosophy of education and references.
Additional information can be obtained by contacting the
principal: Mr. Henk Nobel
(519) 843-3029 (work); (519) 843-1790 (home)
Applications to be addressed to:
Emmanuel Christian High School
c/o Education Committee
RR 3, Garafraxa Street, Fergus, ON
Eben-Ezer Christian School in Chatham Ontario
Invites applications for the 2013-2014 school year for the
position of
PRINCIPAL/TEACHER
Eben-Ezer Christian School offers grades JK-8 with an
enrolment of approximately 40 students, and five teachers.
Eben-Ezer is a close-knit school community, with great
relations between staff, board and membership.
Chatham has much to offer the prospective applicant,
being a smaller community, but within an hour’s commute
to larger centers. The cost of living is significantly lower
than many Canadian cities.
Chatham has a vibrant congregation of approximately
300 members and has just installed its new pastor,
Rev. DeBoer. We are excited about the coming years as
we get to know Rev. DeBoer and his family better and we
rejoice in having a shepherd.
If you would like further information about school
operations and opportunities, please contact
Janice Bultje, Ed. Com. Chair
at janb@ciaccess.com
519-352-6542
8753 Pioneer Line, Chatham, Ontario N7M 5J7
FOR RENT
Newly renovated 2 bedroom basement apartment in the
Niagara Region. Close to QEW, 20 minutes from Brock
University and Niagara College.
For more information, contact Duane @ 289-213-8428
August 17, 2012 • 450
September 6, 1987 – September 6, 2012
How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity! Psalm 133:1
Elora Canadian Reformed Church
25th Anniversary Celebration
With thankfulness to our faithful Heavenly Father, the
church at Elora is excited to celebrate our 25th Anniversary!
Evening of reflection and celebration will be held, D.V., on
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Dessert social at 6:30 pm. Program beginning at 7:30 pm.
Please join us for a walk down memory lane and celebrating
what the Lord God has done for us in the past 25 years.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Address: 6674 Wellington Road 7, Elora, Ontario N0B 1S0
MY ROCK AND MY SALVATION
Rev. C.J. Vandervelde, Meditations on forgiveness, God’s
providence, and the Christian life; trust in the Lord always; daily
devotional, easy to read, $8.81 + S. & T., suitable for personal &
group use, & for gifts.
Bethel Books 519 351 4290
Mon. to Sat.
for Reformed Christian books. Free catalogues
Mail orders welcome. Jerry Tillema, 274 McNaughton Ave. East,
Chatham, ON N7L 2G8 If coming from out of town, you may wish to call.
Admiral Welding & Manufacturing Inc.
4685 Fretz Boulevard
Beamsvillle, Ontario
L0R 1B4
www.admiralwelding.com
We are currently looking for a certified CNC Metal Brake Press Operator to fill one
position. Must have experience, we are willing to train for the position. Great Benefits
are provided; please stop by with your resume to the address above or e-mail us your
resume to admiralwelding@bellnet.ca. Reference Required.
Any Questions, Feel free to Contact Us
Telephone: (905) 563-1323
E-mail: admiralwelding@bellnet.ca
Maranatha Homes, located in south Burlington near
many amenities, is a place where Christian seniors can enjoy
independent living in community with others.
• Reasonable rent rates at $796 per month
• Newly renovated units
• Award winning architechtural design
• Well maintained building and grounds
• No condo fees or utility bills.
All this and more make Maranatha Homes an attractive and
affordable accommodation for seniors.
For further information contact:
Rosanne van der Woerd
109-3260 New Street, Burlington, ON L7N 3L4
905-681-0311
Email: rvanderwoerd@gmail.com
van der Woerd & Faber P.C.
169 St. Andrew Street West, Fergus, ON N1M 1N6
Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries P ublic, Mediator
Herman Faber,
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Website: www.faberlaw.ca
SUTTON GROUP SHOWPLACE REALTY LTD.
9240 Young Road, Chilliwack, BC
Tel: 604-793-9900
Cell: 604-793-3404
GARRY HOVIUS - Realtor
Rita Hovius - office assistant
Toll Free: 1-888-355-6771
Fax: 604-793-9908
Website: garryhovius.com
Email: ghovius@sutton.com
Serving the beautiful Fraser Valley and surrounding areas
Olij & Faber
128 St. C atharine Street, PO Box 38, Smithville, Ontario L0R 2A0
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Attentive to Your Needs, Affordable & Fair
Real Estate, Business Law
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HALF HOUR FREE CONSULTATION
451 • August 17, 2012
by the Choirs of the Ontario Christian Music Assembly
A Wonderful Program for Young & Old
The Most Exciting Christian Concert of the Year
Mark vander Velde
www.markv.ca
Contact Info –
Toll Free – 1-800-461-0493
markv@royallepage.ca
Investment Planning Counsel
of Canada
Roland Van Andel
E.P.C.
Adolfo De Santis
Piano
Leendert Kooij
Director
OCMA Vocal Quartet
Andre Knevel
Organ
Beatrice Carpino
Soprano
Liselotte Rokyta
Panflute
Romulo Delgado
Tenor Soloist
Toronto Brass Quintet
Choirs of the OCMA
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friday november 2nd, 2012 – 7:30 p.m.
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servicing the Niagara Region and
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A variety of great Christian Music,
inspiring gospel songs,exciting
Choruses from Orotorios, toe tapping
music, OCMA Vocal Quartet,
Soprano and Tenor Solos and Duets.
Several pieces for Soloists and Choir.
Organ and Panflute solos. Piano Solo.
Organ Solo. Audience participation. An event where
Christians celebrate their unity! May God be praised!
Christian
Festival
Concert
2012
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For a Bus coming from
this area, please contact:
NAME:
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Would you consider organizing a bus
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Good Parking under the Hall • Easy to reach by subway
59 Kirby Avenue, Suite 1, Dundas, Ontario L9H 6P3
Celebrating 22 years of Christian Festival Concerts
PHONE: 905-628-9666 • FAX: 905-628-1035
TOLL FREE: 1-866-856-5910
E-MAIL: rvanandel@ipcc.org
MEMBER OF IPC FINANCIAL NETWORK INC.
Executive Director
Emmanuel Home, a Christian home for seniors in Edmonton, is
seeking applicants for its executive director position.
The executive director serves the board in an advisory capacity in
determining policy and functions as the chief agent for carrying
out these policies in the operations of Emmanuel Home.
Please see the Emmanuel Home website (www.emmanuelhome.ab.ca)
for the full advertisement.
Send inquiries or applications to
Ron Bos rbos@emmanuelhome.ab.ca or
Jack Vanden Born (board vice president)
jackvandenborn@hotmail.com
or call 780-442-3122 for further information
August 17, 2012 • 452
PM 40063293
FOR EMMANUEL HOME